Brake tests
Imagine what it must feel like to realise that you have no brakes...
To minimise the risk of ever finding yourself in a position where you have no brakes, you should get into the habit of doing both static and moving brake tests every time you drive - after a while the checks become so natural that you will do them without conscious effort.
In a well maintained vehicle you will probably never discover a problem when you check your brakes - however, every year there will be a number of drivers who experience brake failure that might have been picked up if they had completed these basic tests.
- For the static brake test simply press the brake pedal before moving off to check for pedal pressure.
- A running brake test can be done at 5 or 10 miles per hour to check that the brakes are operating correctly (note that this is not an emergency stop!).
Watch the video (right) at least twice to familiarise yourself with the information about warning lights and brake tests and then complete the project.
Note: You can see two newer additional videos here.
Project
Download your Brake Test Project Sheet here.
Complete this project before moving on to the next step.
Using the brake test project worksheet, go out to your car and perform both the static and rolling brake tests and note the warning lights for the braking system on your dashboard.
Next: Move on to Step 6 to complete your Weekly Vehicle Checks project.